Fairtrade: a late arrival

Edinburgh is one, St Andrew’s is one and Oxford Brookes has been one since 2003. From an unsteady start with just two universities getting onboard, Fairtrade mania has swept across UK campuses in the last six years so that there are now more than 70 higher education institutions officially listed as Fairtrade Universities.

With a penchant for the more Gradgrindian pursuits of science and engineering over the romantic distractions encountered in Edinburgh’s George Square, it is perhaps not surprising that Heriot-Watt University has waited until now in its preparations to jump onto this particular bandwagon. But—better late than never—they are to be encouraged into the fold with cautious enthusiasm.

Fairtrade cannot be viewed as a panacea for financial injustice; the individual certainly benefits in the short term but the message it implies—that farmers must accept, at best, a wage that will never enable them to live the lifestyle of their Western patrons—remains part and parcel of the scheme.

Coffee prices are notorious for their devastating fluctuations. However, not even universal participation in the Fairtrade plan would solve the essential problem in this market of overproduction. Indeed, to a certain extent, Fairtrade exacerbates this situation, acting in favour of some producers and neglecting others, with the result that efficiency and innovation are no longer rewarded. Shielded from those market pressures which encourage improved productivity, supply and demand become detached.

One classic example is of European buyers' insistence on purchasing expensive Caribbean bananas over the cheaper South American alternatives, a choice that does both regions' producers a disservice: Venezuelans are punished for their investment in agricultural reform whilst West Indians are encouraged to maintain unmechanised farms.

Nevertheless, Fairtrade as a political force must be praised for its highlighting of the plight of those farmers who live outside the quixotic worlds of Ambridge or Emmerdale. Without doubt, those universities who have already committed to the scheme must have had this ideal in mind when putting their weight behind Fairtrade products.

The recently established Universities That Count initiative—a programme that aims to involve all higher education institutions in the practices of environmental sustainability and corporate and social responsibility—shows that the commitment to forging a greener, more socially responsible path to the future remains a key concern on the agendas of higher educational institutions. Edinburgh, Napier and Queen Margaret universities, who have signed up to the proposal, can also be praised in this regard.

While it cannot be said that those who have so-far shied away from UTC have instead committed themselves to the opposite path of shady dealings in back alleys, it does seem odd that Heriot-Watt University has declared the plan unnecessary in the face of 64 universities already committed to it. The process of review that UTC proposes is essential to identify all the implications—both positive and negative—of universities’ activities. Heriot-Watt would surely benefit from the ability to measure progress towards its stated goal of increased environmental and corporate sustainability.

So Heriot-Watt can be accused of lagging in adding its crest to commitments outlining shared ethical goals. But where Fairtrade has proved so successful—and where the university, should they choose to sign up, is to be praised—is that it has written social concerns onto the metaphorical statue books of our institutions. Sure it's a little late, and Fairtrade is no cure-all, but the addition of another "Fairtrade university" to the list of those publicly announcing that ethics must form a part of decision-making is very good news indeed.